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XLR Female to RCA Plug Adapter

Looking for direct experience and/or a technical explanation on using an XLR Female to a male RCA Plug Adapter, if it’s a good idea or not, and what adapters are most transparent and do the least damage to the signal.

According to the manufacturer of my DAC, using its balanced output is much preferred to using RCA. My pre only has single-ended inputs, so if I used a good adapter plug would it negate all the benefits of using the DAC’s XLR out or, put another way, would I just be better off using an RCA interconnect and forgo the adapter? Thanks for any thoughts.

soix

Showing 3 responses by holmz

holmz's avatar
holmz
2,328 posts
 

I would get a Jensen Transformer to do the conversion. 

That does look like it also lowers the voltage.
(the Nuetrik is a 200:200 transformer.)

So it should be lower noise as the RCA is attenuated, and the XLR can be driven harder.

So $300 versus 2x $55… But both the Jensen and the Neutrik look like a better technical option than the connectors which have no transformer. (Including the cheaper Neutrik connector.)

holmz's avatar
holmz
2,328 posts
 

I have been considering these.

Maybe @atmasphere can advise?

holmz's avatar
holmz
2,328 posts
 

If it was a long way from the DAC to the pre, then XLR and a transform would be best.

But if it has RCAs, then just chuck those on. If there are no hums, then lower nothing by 10dB is still nothing.

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